Breastfeeding Mom: Dunkin' Donuts Staff Called The Police On Me

We know that breastfeeding in public — specifically in eateries — is a divisive topic, but does nursing a baby ever merit contacting the authorities?

From the original post at CafeMom.com:

It finally happened. A friend and I were just told not to breastfeed in Dunkin Donuts because there are “other people there”. I was going to leave and just write a letter to Dunkin Donuts headquarters suggesting that they educate their employees better. The police were called, though.

The mom says she and her friend just cleaned up and left the Dunkin’ Donuts, but not before her friend was told by the police to “shut up” in front of her children.

For its part, Dunkin’ Donuts posted the following statement on its Facebook page:

We have looked into the matter concerning 2 moms at a DD store in NJ & have confirmed an employee was responding to another customer’s complaint that wasn’t related to breastfeeding. None of the DD employees challenged the guests about breastfeeding & all DDs must comply w/ local, state & federal laws w/ regard to nursing mothers. Our top priority is always to provide an excellent experience for our guests

In New Jersey, the law regarding public breastfeeding “entitles a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location of a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement wherein the mother is otherwise permitted. Failure to comply with the law may result in a fine.”

Most states have well-defined laws that permit breastfeeding in public. Click here for the full list of state-by-state regulations.